Khirbet Jinjas - HEPTASTOMOS

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Monastery name, type, category
Site Name: 
Khirbet Jinjas
Identification: 
The site is identified as the laura of Heptasomos ("Seven Mouthed") founded ca. 510 CE by Sabas. The identification, originally by Delau, is accepted by scholars.
Monastery name: 
HEPTASTOMOS
Monastery type: 
Laura
Monastery category: 
Desert
Location
Coordinates, ITM system: 
22,970.00
62,680.00
Coordinates, ICS system: 
17,970.00
12,680.00
Geographical region: 
Judean Desert
Provincial affiliation: 
Palaestina I
Bishopric: 
Jerusalem
Topographical location: 
The laura is spread over an area of moderate hills.
Soils: 
Rocky limestone
Distance from nearest bishop-seat: 
ca. 12 km (Jerusalem)
Distance from Roman roads: 
ca. 0.5 km (at the side of the road leading from Jerusalem to Jabel Muntar).
Source of knowledge
Hide Archaeological remains
Surveyed site
Surveyors: 
NameDate
Guérin
1868-69
Delau
1899-1900
Féderlin
1904
Corbo
1958
Hirschfeld
1982
History: 
The monastery of Heptastomos ("seven-mouthed") was one of the foundations of Sabas, named for a cistern near which a monk from the Great Laura had attempted to found a laura of his own. It was founded in 510 CE as a laura, some distance from the cistern itself but retained the name. The laura was probably abandoned sometime in the early seventh century CE.
State of certainty: 
Archaeologically and Literarily definitive
General description
State of preservation/which parts were uncovered: 

The remains of this laura are spread over four spurs and cover a large area (250,000 m2). The laura consists of 25 cells dispersed around a core complex. The complex was surveyed but not excavated. A boundary fence remains preserved to a height of one or two courses.

Illustrative material: 
Hide General description
Paths: 

The main route arriving from the northwest forks from the road connecting Jerusalem with Jericho. A second path arrives from the southwest ascending from the bed of the Kidron riverbed.

Enclosing walls: 

This is the only laura in the Judean Desert known to have had a wall. The enclosed area is about 700 x 230-600 m. The core is surrounded by a wall forming a quadrangle (60 x 35-40 m.), enclosing an area of about 2200 m2 comprising about one tenth of the total area of the complex.

Gate/s: 

Remains of a gate (2.6 m wide) were found west of the central structure.

Courtyards: 

Two or three courtyards are located in the core of the laura.

Tower/s: 

In the northern part of the core, abutting its enclosing wall, there is a square structure (2.5 x 2.5 m) resembling a tower.

Churche/s: 

At the center of the core is a church (15 x 6 m.) with two adjacent rooms.

Dwellings: 

25 cells belonging to the laura were identified. These were clustered in three groups. Ten were found on the north ridge, eight on the central one and seven in the southern part of the laura. The cells are simple and small, consisting of one or two rooms without a cistern (only three cells were found to have had cisterns) or a courtyard. They are built of dressed stone bound with mud plaster on the exterior. Unlike some of the other laurae, none of the cells are in caves, either natural or hewn. The average distance between cells is 60 m. One of the cells was found to be larger than the others and was surrounded by a low wall.

Stable: 

3

Water installations: 

Two cisterns were found in the core of the monastery and two more outside the core. About 150 m. northwest of the core, a round cistern (7 m. diameter and about 8 m. deep, ca. 175 m3) served the northern group of cells. A second cistern, rectangular in shape with rock hewn walls (7.5 x 2.8 m.) served the southern group of cells. The cisterns of the core, located in the courtyard in the southwest, served those who lived in that area. The cisterns were fed by channels.

Agricultural and industrial installations: 

Remains of a round structure abutting the wall of the core, on the outside, may have been a columbarium.

Hide Small finds
Small finds: 
CategoryDescription
Pottery
Bowls, jugs, storage jars- dated to 6th and first half of 7th c.
Other
roof tiles.
Detailed description
Dimensions: 
Total area (sqm)Size class
250,000
Large
Hide Structure
Materials applied (walls): 
Limestone
Hide Components
Enclosing wall
Border marks
Gate/s: 
1
Tower/s
Courtyard/s
Monastery church: 
Church typeDiakonikonLink to church sectionChurch location
basilical
Ground floor
Dwelling type: 
cells
Built paths
Water installations: 
Cisterns
Channels
Water capacity (minimal) (cubic m): 
200
Architectural evolution
General outline: 
Founded by Sabas in 510 CE.
Dating material: 

Based on Cyril of Scythopolis (V. Sab.39 [ed. Schwartz, 129-130]).

Hide Phase date
Century: 
6th c.
Within century: 
Early
Hide Iconoclastic evidence
Iconoclastic evidence: 
No
Post Arab conquest history: 
Abandoned